The Cantonese course
Learn Cantonese ten words at a time
廣東話
Ten games of ten words: the hundred most useful Cantonese words and expressions you could live on for years, from greetings and ordering food to numbers, small talk and getting around. Play a lesson in the box beside its words, and the next one starts itself.
Cantonese challenge
Do you know the essentials? 25 quick questions from across the course. Score high and you are ready for the trip.
Cantonese · Lesson 1 of 10
Greetings and politeness
Hello, thanks, please: the ten openers everything else builds on.
- 你好NAY-ho
- Hello
- 哈囉ha-LO
- Hi
- 早晨JO-san
- Good morning
- 晚安MAN-on
- Good night
- 非常感謝你FAY-seung gam-JEH nei
- Thank you very much
- 唔該m-GOY
- Thanks
- 唔使客氣m-SAI haak-hei
- You're welcome
- 請CHING
- Please
- 唔該借借m-GOY jeh-JEH
- Excuse me
- 再見JOY-gin
- Goodbye
Cantonese · Lesson 2 of 10
Order anything by pointing
One beer please, one of these please, the bill: survive any menu.
- 一杯啤酒，唔該yat BUI beh-JAU, m-GOY
- One beer, please
- 呢個，唔該NAY-go, m-GOY
- One of these, please
- 一杯咖啡，唔該yat BUI ga-FEH, m-GOY
- One coffee, please
- 兩個，唔該LEUNG-go, m-GOY
- Two, please
- 再多一個，唔該JOY do yat-GO, m-GOY
- One more, please
- 幾多錢？GAY-do CHIN
- How much is it?
- 埋單，唔該MAI-dan, m-GOY
- The bill, please
- 可唔可以...？HO-m-HO-yi
- May I...?
- 乾杯！GON-bui
- Cheers!
- 保重bo-JONG
- Bless you
Cantonese · Lesson 3 of 10
Yes, no and the essentials
The tiny words that carry half of every conversation.
- 係HAI
- Yes
- 唔係m-HAI
- No
- 好HO
- Okay
- 冇問題MO-man-TAI
- Sure, no problem
- 唔知m-JEE
- I don't know
- 我唔明NGO m-MING
- I don't understand
- 你識唔識講英文？NEI sik-m-SIK GONG ying-MAN
- Do you speak English?
- 少少SIU-siu
- A little
- 梗係GANG-hai
- Of course
- 冇事MO-si
- Everything is fine
Cantonese · Lesson 4 of 10
Numbers and money
Counting, prices, paying by card or cash.
- 一yat
- One
- 兩LEUNG
- Two
- 三saam
- Three
- 四sei
- Four
- 五ng
- Five
- 十sap
- Ten
- 一百yat-BAAK
- One hundred
- 港幣GONG-bai
- Hong Kong dollar
- 刷卡SWAAT-kaat
- By card
- 現金YIN-gam
- In cash
Cantonese · Lesson 5 of 10
At the supermarket
Bread, milk, a bag, nothing else thanks: the checkout routine.
- 麵包MIN-baau
- Bread
- 牛奶NAU-naai
- Milk
- 雞蛋GAI-daan
- Eggs
- 水SOEY
- Water
- 要唔要袋？YIU-m-yiu DOI
- A bag?
- 有冇...？YAU-mo
- Do you have...?
- ...喺邊度？hai BIN-do
- Where is...?
- 呢個NAY-go
- This one
- 唔使喇m-SAI la
- Nothing else
- 祝你有個愉快嘅一日JUK nei yau-go YU-faai ge yat-YAT
- Have a nice day
Cantonese · Lesson 6 of 10
Cafe and restaurant
A table, the menu, a compliment to the kitchen.
- 兩位LEUNG-wai
- A table for two
- 菜單，唔該CHOI-dan, m-GOY
- The menu, please
- 一杯奶茶yat BUI naai-CHA
- One milk tea
- 一杯紅酒yat BUI HUNG-jau
- A glass of wine
- 點心DIM-sam
- Dim sum
- 好好食HO-ho-sik
- It's delicious
- 唔要冰m-YIU bing
- Without ice
- 外賣NGOI-maai
- To take away
- 再多一個JOY do yat-GO
- One more
- 唔使找m-SAI JAO
- Keep the change
Cantonese · Lesson 7 of 10
Small talk and neighbors
How are you, nice day, see you soon: superficial and proud of it.
- 你好嗎？NEI HO maa
- How are you? (polite)
- 點呀？DIM-aa
- How are you? (casual)
- 好好HO-ho
- I'm fine
- 你呢？NEI neh
- And you?
- 有咩新鮮事？YAU meh SAN-SIN si
- What's new?
- 今日天氣好好喎GAM-yat TIN-hei HO-ho wo
- Nice weather, huh?
- 遲啲見CHI-di GIN
- See you soon
- 祝你有個愉快嘅晚上JUK nei yau-go YU-faai ge MAN-seung
- Have a nice evening
- 代我向你家人問好DOI ngo HEUNG nei GA-yan man-HO
- Say hi to the family
- 祝你一切順利JUK nei yat-CHIT SEON-lei
- All the best
Cantonese · Lesson 8 of 10
Getting around
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet.
- 廁所喺邊度？CHI-so hai BIN-do
- Where is the toilet?
- 左JO
- Left
- 右YAU
- Right
- 直走JIK-jau
- Straight ahead
- 呢度NAY-do
- Here
- 嗰度GO-do
- There
- 地鐵DEI-TIT
- MTR
- 巴士站BA-si JAAM
- Bus stop
- 一張票，唔該yat JEUNG PIU, m-GOY
- One ticket, please
- 喺度落車，唔該hai-DO LOK-CHE, m-GOY
- Stop here, please
Cantonese · Lesson 9 of 10
Time and days
Today, tomorrow, later, the weekend.
- 今日GAM-yat
- Today
- 聽日TING-yat
- Tomorrow
- 尋日CHAM-yat
- Yesterday
- 而家YI-ga
- Now
- 遲啲CHI-di
- Later
- 而家幾點？YI-ga GAY-DIM
- What time is it?
- 星期一SING-kei-YAT
- Monday
- 星期六SING-kei-LUK
- Saturday
- 星期日SING-kei-YAT
- Sunday
- 週末JAU-mut
- The weekend
Cantonese · Lesson 10 of 10
Help and emergencies
The words you hope to never need.
- 救命！GAU-meng
- Help!
- 叫醫生GIU yi-SANG
- Call a doctor
- 警察GING-chaat
- Police
- 藥房YEUK-FONG
- Pharmacy
- 醫院yi-YUN
- Hospital
- 我唔知去邊NGO m-JEE HOEY BIN
- I'm lost
- 我唔舒服NGO m-SHU-fook
- I don't feel well
- 我嘅電話NGO-ge DIN-WA
- My phone
- 俾人偷咗BEI-yan TAU-jo
- It was stolen
- 好緊急HO GAN-gap
- It's urgent